These are clear and excellent pics, and the object is clearly contacting the surface of mars. The only objects that can contact the surface I know of are the wheels and drilling instrument. Does anyone know if there are other probes or instruments that sample or otherwise contact the surface??

Here is a zoomed in view of the anomalous object as shown in Levelwind's view. I have to say that in all the time I have been examining images from Curiosity I have never seen anything that resembles this particular oddity. Very strange indeed!